OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County baseball team improved to 12-4 on the season after taking all four games in the series against Moberly Area over the weekend at the JCCC Baseball Complex. In addition, the Cavaliers moved up to the No. 7 position in the NJCAA D-I Baseball Rankings after opening the season at No. 8.
The Cavaliers outscored the Greyhounds 51-to-6 in the series, winning 6-1 and 19-1 on Saturday followed wins of 18-4 and 8-0 Sunday afternoon.
In the opening game, first baseman Easton Roe was credited with two RBI, and outfielders MIken Miller and Jesse Tisdell each drove in one run.
Right-hander Ryan Borberg, last week's KJCCC Pitcher of the Week, allowed two hits, an unearned run and struck out eight over five innings to pick up the victory. Right-hander John Chambers pitched two scoreless innings in relief and struck out five batters to pick up the save.
The second game was all Johnson County. After Moberly took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Cavaliers scored the next 19 runs with four in the second, eight in the fourth, two in the fifth and five more in the sixth.
Shortstop Jordan Black belted a triple and home run and drove in five runs in the game. Tisdell had a double and four RBI, and Miller collected three RBI with a single and home run.
Right-hander Brandon Stone picked up the win allowing just one earned run with three strikeouts over four innings. Left-hander Michael Infranca followed with three strikeouts over two innings of reliefs and right-hander Max Colombo closed out the final inning and struck out two batters.
On Sunday JCCC's bats remained hot colleting 17 hits including four doubles and two homer runs. JCCC's first five hitters combined for 10 hits, nine runs, and eight RBI.
First baseman Dagen Brewer scored three times and drove in four runs with a two-run single and two-run homer, and catcher Cal Kilgore blasted a three-run shot and finished with four driven in to lead the JCCC offense.
Shortstop Maddux Fleck doubled and singled twice, drove in a run and scored three runs, and second baseman Jack Mosh, last week's East Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week, had two singles and two RBI.
Other key contributors in the game were outfielder Jake McClure (single, 2 runs); Black (single, walk, 2 runs, RBI); Tisdell (single, double, walk, 2 runs, RBI) Tyler Buchman (singe, run, RBI) and Kamryn Link (single run, RBI).
On the hill, right-hander Maddox Burckitt allowed four runs, two unearned, and struck out 11 Greyhounds over his five innings of work. Right-hand reliever Austin Berggren logged two scoreless innings with five strikeouts to close out the game.
In the final game, the Cavaliers broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth with five runs crossing the plate. They went to win 8-0.
McClure ripped two doubles to drive in two runs. Tisdell collected a single, a double and two RBI, and Fleck was 3-for-5 with a double and a run to help pace the Cavaliers.
Right-hander Josiah Golden hurled five no-hit innings with four strikeouts to earn the victory. Right-hander Sam Novotny followed with four strikeouts and three scoreless innings and left-hander Sawyer Allen closed out the final inning and secured the shutout.
Johnson County will host a four-game, home-and-home series with Cloud County of the West Kansas Jayhawk Conference, with two games at JCCC on Thursday, February 29, followed by two games in Concordia, Kansas on Saturday, March 2.